Essential Oils for poorly and depressed horses - info. (long!)

kerilli

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I typed all this out for a PM to someone with a recuperating, depressed horse, and then thought other people might be interested. So, here goes:

The best oil i've found, all horses love it, is Hay Absolute. it smells gorgeous, obv! the 10ml bottle lasts quite a while. they're really interested in it and love the taste.
Other cheering ones, or particularly good ones for patients: (my own notes in brackets)
Bergamot (refreshing and uplifting. for depression)
Chamomile (stimulates white blood cell production, to fight disease etc)
Clove (pain relieving, and 1 of only 3 oils in which no known bacteria, virus or fungus can live)
Helichrysum (known as The Magic Bullet... anti-inflammatory, analgesic, oxygenating, immune-boosting, regenerates tissue, reduces tissue pain)
Lavender (relaxing, soporific, lowers arterial pressure, good for stress, kills microbes on contact, used as an antiseptic for centuries, powerful disease-fighting properties.)
Lemon (uplifting, promotes sense of well-being, good for immune system support)
Lemongrass (anti-septic, sedative, anti-inflammatory)
Mandarin (anti-septic, promotes happiness)
Patchouli (powerfully antiseptic, regenerates tissue, relaxing, anti-inflammatory)
Peppermint (anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immune-boosting, mental acuity)
Rose Absolute (for emotional upset, anger, insomnia, balance, harmony, health)
Thyme, Red (stimulates white blood cell production, kills microbes on contact, used as an antiseptic for centuries)
Violet Leaf (painkiller, for nervousness, spookiness)
Yarrow (soothing, calming, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, accelerates healing process)
Ylang Ylang (calming and relaxing, relieves tension, calms breathing and heart rate, antiseptic)

Just pick a few that appeal to you. some are cheaper than others - depends on raw ingredient. e.g. lavender is v. cheap, rose absolute is v. expensive. 5ml or 10ml bottles should be fine.

For horses, offer one or two at a time, from about 8" from nostrils. if horse instantly turns away, gently re-present, but give up with that one for now if he doesn't want it. when he does like it, he'll have a good sniff with 1 nostril, then with the other (giving it to both sides of brain for processing), and sometimes try to take the bottle... makes sure he doesn't grab it!
any that he really wants, put a few drops on your palm and let him lick them off. he'll prob do Flehmen's posture at the strength of the taste.
Only offer a max of 3 or 4 in 1 go, then do sth else, cos they can get overloaded by the different smells.
Never mix oils for horses, let them pick out single oils to their own taste.
I'd partic. recommend Helichrysum, Yarrow, Hay, Rose (if you can afford it!) and Mandarin, i reckon. but any of those would be good.
Mandarin, Lemon and Bergamot are particularly good for depression.

Hay Absolute is available from The Fragrant Earth, 01458 831216, I don’t know of any other company that does that one.
Phytobotanica 0151 526 0139 is another very good supplier of really quality oils.
I’ve got nothing to do with either company, btw.
The oils you can get on the high street tend not to be such good quality, and aren’t any cheaper either, usually…

Btw, in case anyone doubts the efficacy of these, perfumiers, and lavender-growers and sellers, were virtually unaffected by the plague…
Certain oils will kill all known nasties.
The essential oils are basically the life-blood of the plant, which it would use to fight off moulds etc attacking it. That’s why they’re so effective.
Cool, huh?
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no, just offer them to sniff out of the bottle, and if there's one they're really keen for, put a few drops on your palm and let them lick them off. that's enough, really, and they get the choice, whereas if you put it in their food, they wouldn't.
 
Thank you for that - another thing to try out with my poor new girl!

(my husband thinks I'm nuts though as we're already trying some homeopathic stuff)
 
of course, go ahead. it's all notes i've made from books on the subject, and from a training day thingy i went on. i'm not qualified though, but tbh administered like this, where the horse has the choice, i don't think it is possible to get it wrong or do any harm. horses know how to self-medicate and will show interest in what they need.
one thing, there are certain oils which you must NOT get on your hands, one is Wintergreen. very toxic. there's not many, and all the ones i've mentioned are absolutely fine, but it's worth noting.
i've got other really interesting stuff about it, e.g.
scientific test done, pathogenic microorganisms per cubic metre of air.
forest 5
apartment 20,000
public store 9 million
carpet 9 million
worktop 5 million
hospital 10,000 million.
sprayed with an aerosol of essential oils, 40% destroyed in 20 mins, 80% destroyed in 1 hr, 100% destroyed in 9 hours...
 
Thanks for this, very interesting information.

I use lavender, tea tree, cedar wood, citronella and eucalyptus in my fly spray - all very effective remedies.

I have also given Cairo eucalyptus to sniff on a cloth when he had a snotty nose which he seemed to enjoy.

Chancer drinks the refresher rinse I make of peppermint, lavender and tea tree if I don't keep an eye on him - maybe I should offer these to him, or it could be that he just wants to drink peppermint.
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Kerilli - have you tried comfrey - my (ancient) knowledge of the plant suggests it should be good but I'm not sure.

Also use of essential oils as massage oils on horses. My girl's ruptured a muscle - there doesn't seem to be much I can do to help it but I am wondering whether if I clip the area and then massage with some of the muscle / tendon repairers / anti-inflammatories in a carrier oil whether that would help in your opinion?

Any ideas? Sorry, shameless brain picking going on here!
 
i haven't got anything about comfrey in my notes, surprisingly. hmm.
yes, definitely. i'd warm the oils up very slightly too, i think.
i'd recommend Helichrysum, Lavender, any of the citrusy ones (Lemon, Lemongrass, Citronella, Lemon Balm), Patchouli, Violet Leaf, Yarrow.
if there's anything she's particularly interested in, let her have a good sniff... single oils only for presenting to the nose though, not mixed!
 
Now why couldn't I find this thread when I looked last night? Must be going blind in my old age!

Thanks for that - oils on order
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